Wrapper-cutting machine



y E. B. WILHELM WRAPPER CUTTING MACHINE original Filed Jan. e. 1'919 s sheets-sneet- 1 Gamm@ 1927. Jan 4 E. B. WILHELM WRAPPER CUTTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan.` 6. 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 C1 No1 ne an I 1,613 427 Jm' 4 1927 E. B. WILHELM WRPPER Cl-J'l'rl'INGv MACHINE Original Filed-Jan. 6. 1919 46 Sheets-Sheet 3 @vi/bn eos 1 I I V Jan 4 927 E. B. WILHELM ,WRAPPER CUTTIG MACHINE .original Filed Jan. e. w19- e sheets-sheet 4 .w w v WTNS Jan, 1927.

E. vB. WILHELM YWRAPPER CUTTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 6, 19:19 6 Sheets-Sheet E;

C) No@ ne sid E. B., WILHELM WRAPPER CUTTING MACHINE Original Filed Jan.

6. 1919 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patente-d Jan. 4, 1927.

EDWIN B. WILHELWL OF HIGI-IELAL-ll) FARE, MCHIGAN.

WRAPPEBI-GTT1NG MACHNE.

Substitnteforapplieation Seralo. 289,300, filed January 5, 1919. This application led May 13, 1926.

vSerial No. 103,955.

The present application is a substitute f or application Serial Number 269,800, which application was .forfeitedduly 29, 1921, for failure to pay the final fee.

In `the manufacture of cigars, stogies and other wrapped tobacco products, it has been the lpractice to manually cut the Wrappers therefor', and such cutting operations require .considerable lskill and ,precision `in Aorder to avoid Waste by not having the wrappers too small or too large. Then again, when cut by .hand `it yis `practically impossible, Without some guiding Ameans tto `have all Wrappers `of a vuniform size, which results in the `wrapped appearance of one cigar bein-g different from another, and this is .not a desideratum, particularly when a certain bi'andof cigars, particularly ofla goodg `ade .iis toibe produced.

My invention aims to provide a wrapper cutting machine by which tobacco leaves `be expeditiously and economically cut and Vtrimmed to produce .uniform and lprop- .erlyp-shaped wrappers, jthe machine, after `being.set for -a .predetermined Wrapper, yre- -quiring no attention whatsoever, `other than placing thetobacco leaf or strip in position to be operated upon.

.My .invention zfurther aims vto yprovide `a :machine of fthe labove type involving `novel means for laterally shifting va 'leaf or strip -oftobacco so that straight cuts may` be made in va. desired direction, :and Yassociated With such shifting `means is a novel mechanism Ifor shifting a `cutter or similar `instrument for curvilinearcuts, as a continuation `of the straight cuts. .As a whole, a leaf shifting means and cutter guiding means Aare timed .fo-r a sequence of operation which eventually severe a wrapper of desired shape Jfrom a leaf or strip of tobacco `placed in themachine, fand with the tobacco stoclcproperly positioned, Vit is possible to sever Wrappers from superposed leaves or laminated stock vplaced in 'the machine.

.My .invention will be hereinafter more fully considered and reference Will now be had fto the drawing, wherein- Eigure lisa front elevationof-the tobacco rwrapper cutting vmachine;

Fig-.2 is a plan ofthe same, partly broken away;

vguideway 6.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View of'the Ina-v unction with F 8 and 9the cutting of ya Wrapper in its different stages and the operations incident thereto.

lhe machine may be characterized 4by cooperating organizations as a bed framehaving a reciprocatory carriage and table with `a Work board; amain frame and cam cylinder; a spindle housing and operating ,mech-- aniram, and a cutter spindle and elevating mechanism, but in describing theseorgani- Zations by aid of the views above referred te, l desire to point out that the sameare intended as merely illustrative of a machine 4by `which my inventionY may `be yput 4into gpractice, therefore l do not care to V,confine myseif to the precise construction .and arrangement of parts other than. `defined by theappended claims.

I ln the drawings, the reference .numeral 1 denotes afbed frame having one end thereof Aprovided. 'with parallel side rails orshears2 for a reciprocable carriage 3, said carriage Vhaving' its rear edge provided Withe'a set ofV yrearwardly extending arms 4; having confronting anti-frictional rollers y5 at-therear ends thereof. 6 denotes adove-tailedrgroove or guldeivay in the carriage 3 for areciprocable table? held against vertical'displacement by the side Walls of the groove or Suitably fixed to the upper surface of the table 7 is a .Work holder or board 8 upon whichl a tobacco leaf or strip may be correctly positioned so'that a Wrapper maybe cut from the same. The table .7 isadapted to be reciprocated transverselyof the carriage 8 or shifted in aidirectionfat right angles to the Vmovement of the car riage'3, and said table has depending parallel flanges or a guideway 9 extending through the carriage 3, as best shown in Fig. 3. Movable between the anges 9 is an antilfrictional roller 10, carried by the forward end of a lever 11 that extends rearwardly over the bed frame 1, said lever being pivoted by a stud or screw 12 on a slide block or bearing 13 in a longitudinal depressed portion 14 of the bed frame 1. Loose on the stud 12, between the lever 11 and the slide block 13, is a slotted end of an arm 15, said arm being pivoted on the bed frame 1, as

at 16. Extending through the outer end of the arm 15 is a bolt 17 that has its head in a segment shaped groove or recess 18 of the bed frame 1, and the upper end of the bolt 17 is provided with a winged thumb nut 19 so that after said arm has been adjusted, it may be locked relative to said frame 1, and thus hold the slide 13 in an adjusted position to increase or decrease the leverage or shifting action of the lever 11. The extreme rear end of the lever 11 is slotted to engage a stud 2O carried by a slide nut 21 in another depressed portion 22 of the frame 1, and on the upper end of the stud 20 is an antifrictional roller 23.

Considering the main frame and cam cylinder of the machine, the reference numerals 24 and 25 denote the side arms or bearings of an inverted U-shaped frame 26 on the rear end of the bed frame 1, and journaled in the side arms 24 and 25 are alining spindles 27 and 28 respectively, the spindle 27 having the outer end thereof provided with a 'grooved pulley or driven wheel 29 and the outer end of the spindle 28 provided with a beveled gear wheel 30. Any suitable means, las a belt or cable 31, may be employed for transmitting power to the spindle 27.

32 denotes confronting cam heads on the inner ends of the spindles 27 and 28, said heads having the outer side walls thereof provided with cam grooves 33 to receive the rollers 5 of the arms 4, said arms being slidable in brackets 34, carried by the arms 24 and 25 of the main frame 26. When the cam heads 32 are rotated, the arms 4 are reciprocated to impart movement to the carriage 3, as defined by the contour of the cam grooves 33 in the heads 32. On the inner side walls of the heads 32 are sets of lugs 35 adapted to engage in sets of notches 36 provided therefor in the ends of the cam. cylinder 37 placed between the heads 32 and held by set screws 38 or similar fastening means. The lugs 35 are in a common plane and by moving the set screws 38 the cam cylinder 37 may be shifted from between the head 32 and replaced by another cylinder which may produce a different action in connection with the machine from that of the cam cylinder shown. lWith the cam cylinder 37 removed, the pulley 29 can be removed from the spindle 27 and the beveled gear wheel 30 removed from the spindle 28, and then the cam heads 32 shifted towards each other so as to be removed from the machine and other suitable cam heads substituted therefore. rllhis constructive arrangement of the cam cylinder and its supporting head permits of all three elements being rotated in synchronism and other elements substituted therefor when it is necessary to change the action of the machine to obtain wrappers of desired size and contour.

39 denotes a cam groove in the periphery of the cylinder 37 and extending into said cam groove is the anti-frictional roller 23 at the rear end of the fulcrumed lever 11. When the cam cylinder 37 revolves said cylinder imparts an oscillatory movement through the fulcrum lever' 11 and the table 7 is ,shifted on the carriage 3, independent of the movement of the carriage and the movement of the table defined by the contour of the cam groove 39.

40 and 41 denote superposed brackets supported by and extending forwardly from the main frame 26 and journaled in these brackets is a vertical shaft 42 that has the upper end thereof provided with horizontal gear wheels 43 and 44, the gear wheels 43 beine' one of a train of Oears for transmitting power to the shaft 42 and is consequently pinned or otherwise fixed to said shaft and also to the gear wheel 44, which is of the mutilated type designed for intermittently transmitting power, the gear wheel having two sets of spaced apart teeth 45 and 46.

47 denotes a horizontal gear wheel meshing with the gear wheel 43, said horizontal gear wheel being supported by the brackets 40 and meshing with a similarly disposed gear wheel 48 mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 49 journaled in bearings 50, carried by the arms 25 and the bracket 40 of the main frame 26. On the lower end of the vertical shaft 49 is a beveled gear wheel 51y meshing with the driven beveled gear wheel 36, and it is through the medium of these beveled gear wheels, the shaft 49, and the horizontal train of gears that the vertical shaft 42 is driven by and in synchronism with the cam cylinder 37.

52 denotes a vertically disposed housing shaft journaled in the outer end of the bracket 40 and having the upper end thereof provided with a small gear wheel 53 and a toothed brake wheel 54. The small gear wheel 53 is adapted to have movement imparted thereto by the teeth 45 and 46 of the gear wheel 44 and the toothed brake wheel 54 is engaged by a resilient detent 55 carried by an extension 56 of the bracket 40, as best shown in Fig. 1. This resilient detent and the toothed brake wheel 54 are adapted to prevent accidental or over-running rotation of the housing shaft 52.

lli() 15eme 57 denotes `the hiib'of acylindrical housing 58, 'said housing Vhaving the lower end thereof 'open and 'provided with -an :internal rack 59. The ihnb 57is loose :on the housing shaft 452 andfcontiguous tothe upper "end'of said hub Visaperipheral flange() supporting a small gear wheel 61 anda 'toothed brake wheel G2, these wheels being lixedfor rotation with'the hub V57. Thesmall'g-ear wheel 6l 'is `adapted to have Imovement vimparted thereto byteeth-63 amd64 of a large horizontal Vgear wheel 65 "keyed or-otherwise "fixed onthe vertical shaft 42 and somewhat similar to the gear wheel 44. The only difference is that the lower face'ofthe gear wheel 65 hasafbeveled gear wheel "portion 'meshing rwith'a. pinion 167 rotatablysupported by an extension 68 of the 4bracket 40.

rEhe pinion L67 'meshes with a beveled `gear wheeltportion or rackti) ofa horizontal reversing 'gear Vwheel -70 loose on the Vshaft 42 above -the bracket 441. The gear wheel '70 meshes ywitha gear wheel or toothed portion V"-lafof the hub 57 and W'hensaid hub is not revolved by the gear wheel G5 it may be revolved "by the reverse gear wheel 70.

7l denotes another resilient detent carried by the extension 56 of thebracket 40en gagi'ng thejtoothed brake wheel 62 and preventingan accidental or overrunning move- -ment'of 'theho'usinghub 57. To prevent lateral or swaying movement ofthe 'housing 58 said housing is :engaged by anti-ffrictional balls 72 suitably retained in 'a race in the outer Aend of thebracket 4l, as best shown in FigB.

73 denotes a crank fixedon the lower end of th-e housing shaft 52, 'and assisting in supporting the same `relative 'to the brackets-40 'and 41. ln the outer end ofthe-crank 73 is journaled a cutter vspindle V74 provida `ed with -a l"pinion `75 meshing with the rack 59 of the housing 58. The cutter spindle 74 extends below the housing `58 and has the lower end thereof reduced as at 76, and va cutter holder 77 slida-ble -on the -spindle 74, said spindle having a transverse pin 7 8 eX- tending into a slot 79 in the `yholder, "so as to establish a driving relation between the l f -spindle and the holder 4and fat the same time permit of-said holderbeing raised and loweredirelative to the spindle.

8O denotes a horizontaldisk on the upper end of the cutter holder 77and engaging the lower face "of said disk are nanti-frictional rollers 81 on the forked or bifurcated end 82 of an arm 88 said arm being pivotally held bythe lower end of a hanger forming part ofthe bracket 41. The inner or rearend "if ofthe arm 83 is'adapted to be engaged lby cams 85 carried by a horizontal wheel 86 mounted on the lower end of 1the vertical "shaft-42, and it. is through the medium of the vwheel 86'that the 'arm'83 can be actuated to raise `the critter holder A77, saidfcutter 'holder having litsfdisllr 8O 'normally held by yengagement v`with the 'arm-'83 by a coiled compression spring :87 tin th-e Vholder '77 and iencircling the yreduced end 76 vof the spindle 74.

The I'lower end of the holder -7 7 vhas a crank 1f to the'ri-ght, and on the work board of l which may be `marked or otherwise indicatd, a territory or zone in which the marginal edges of 'a flattened tobacco leaf or strip must Abe `placed in order that themachinemay cut out a wrapper ofthe contour dis-closed by Figs. l0 to 24 inclusive.

Furthermore, that the Lcutter spindle 74 may be-considered an axis A about which'v the cutter' '89 maybe swung, 'and the housing shaft another aXis B about w ich the cutter spindle 74 may be swung.

All ofthe straight-or right angular -movements of the platen, the curvilinear/movements of the cutter, vtogether with the raisingand lowering of the same, havebeen developed and illustratedlas accurately-as .possible in Figs. 7 'to 24 inclusive, which point `out a series'of operations vnumbered from l lto 22 'inclusive These numbered operaftions are associated lwiththe production of l a wrapper from-'the'first operation to 'the last, all of which have-been pictured in Figs. l() `to 24 inclusive.v The numbered operations which ftake -place in `the production of the `wrapper have been indicated in connection with Figs. v4 to f9 inclusive and particularly Fig. `7 showing a developed view ofthe cam cylinder 37.

Assuining'thatfa tobacco leaf has'been correctly positioned on the platen and the `ma- 'c'hin'e placed in operation, No. l cut is that* of the cntter spindle 741rotating a `'quarter of a revolution to swing the'cutter 89 around the axis A, while theplaten is at rest. This is 65 being` out of mesh with the gear wheels '53 Yand 61,1thegear wheels 53fa1id 61 locked-by 'fthe resilient detents 55 'and 7l, a few of the teeth of the gear wheel 7 O imparting movement to lthe gear lwheel l57a of l'the housino' hub 57 causing the housing and its rack to rotate the cutter spindle 75 a quarter of' a revolution. `While this takes place the re- "silie'nt-detent 7l yields relative to t-he gear wheel 6l, and with the cutter 89 offset relal tive to the axis A, cut No. 'l islproduced.

rlhe next cut, No. 2, is a straight cut iproduced -by the cutter spindle r374 remaining stationary, while "the platen -is shifted through the medium of Jthe 'Cam lheads l"32,

accomplished by fthe gear wheels 44 and rollers 5, and arms 4:. After the completion of this No. 2 crit, the critter is raised by one of the cams 85 engaging the arm 83 and bodily lifting the crit-ter holder 3'4". -With the critter momentarily,elevated operations take place as indicated by Nos. 4 and 5, carising the critter to make a half revolrition about the axis A. while the platen moves back. Then the critter is lowered by the cam 85 moving out of engagement with the arm 83, and the machine is in condition for producing operation llo. 7. This is a semicircular cut, the starting of which is shown in Fig. l1 and conclrided in Fig. l2. The critter bearing 88 has been placed in the same vertical plane as the crank Z3 and the gear wheels tet and 65 imparting movement to the housing shaft 52 and the housing hub 57, cause these two elements to simultaneously revolve a half revolution while the platen is at rest.

Next in order is a straight cut `\lo. S which is accomplished by the critter spindle being locked and the platen moving to the right, this being` in an opposite direction to that which produces the straight cut No. 2. Following the short crit No. 9, there is a small curved cut No. l0, and so on until a wrapper of desired contour is produced.

n view of the explanatory notes associated with Figs. 4 to 2li inclusive, it is thought unnecessary to rehearse all of the steps and operations of' producing a wrapper, which, as shown has rounded or semi-circular ents with the curvature at the outer end of the wrapper extending beyond the side edge thereof represented by cut No. 2. The semicircrilar inner end of the wrapper also extends beyond that side of the wrapper represented by straight cut No. 9, and said semicircular cut terminates in an inscribed ciit which produces a pad for closing the wrapper at the inner end of the cigar filler, when spirally wound thereon. This wrapper outline is of conventional form and one of many resorted to in the production of various styles of cigars, so it is with this thought in view that the cam cylinder 37, cam heads 32, cam wheel 86, gear wheels 44, 65 and TO together with the adjustability of the lever ll, can be changed so that a wrapper of desired outline may be cut by the machine. It is also possible to substitute another tool for the cutter 89 so that various kinds of tracery may be delineated on a piece of' work carried by the platen of the machine. It is only a question of developing the cam grooves and 39, the toothed gear wheels 4.4, G5 and 70 and timing the various operations to obtain any desired cut or mark in or on a piece of work.

What I claim is l. The combination of a critter adapted for critting out wrappers by straight and curvilinear cuts, an intermittently operated platen for effecting straight cuts by said cutter, operating means for said platen including a cam cylinder and heads with arms and a lever for moving said platen, and means for effecting curvilinear cuts by said cutter when said platen is stationary, said means being operable from one end of the cam cylinder of said platen operating means.

2. The combination of a wrapper holder, a cutter operatable above said holder, means adapted for operating said cutter, said means comprising an intermittently actuated shaft for swinging said critter with a large radius, and a rotary spindle for swinging said cutter from a small radius.

3. The combination of a wrapper holder, a cutter operatable above said holder, means adapted for operating said cutter, said means comprising an intermittently operated shaft for swinging said cutter with a large radius, an intermittently operated housing about said shaft, and a rotary spindie supported from said shaft and actuated by said housing for swinging said cutter with a small radius.

t. Means for cutting out cigar wrappers, comprising a spindle, an offset critter at the lower end thereof, means having an axis parallel to said Ispindle for imparting a rotary movement to said spindle to swing said critter'about said spindle as an axis, and means adapted for bodily swinging said spindle about the axis of the rotating means of said spindle.

5. .Means for cutting out cigar wrappers comprising a shaft, means adapted for rotating said shaft, a housing about said shaft, means adapted for rotating said housing in either direct-ioina cutter spindle supported by said shaft in said housing and adapted to be bodily swung about said shaft as an axis, an offset cutter carried by said spindle, and

means effecting a rotary movement of said' spindle from a rotary movement of said housing independent of said shaft.

6. Cutting means as characterized in claim 5 wherein means is constructively arranged for raising and lowering said cutter relative to said spindle.

7. In a cigar wrapper critting machine, the combination of a cutter adapted for making curvilinear cuts, a platen for holding an rincrit wrapper and adapted t0 be shifted to cause said critter to make straight cuts, means for imparting movement to said platen, said meansL including cam heads for effecting movement of said platen to cause said critter to make a straight cut, and a cam cylinder between said heads for effecting movement of said platen to cause said critter' to make a straight cut at an angle to the first mentioned eut.

8. In a cigar wrapping machine, the combination of a critter adapted for making curvilinear cuts, a platen for holding an uncut Wrapper adapted to be shifted to cause said cutter to make straight outs, and means for imparting,` movement to said platen, said means including cam heads dening the movement of said platen in one direction, a

cam cylinder between said heads adapted for moving the platen in another direction,

and means between said platen and said cam cylinder adapted to be adjusted to define the novement of said platen by said cam eylin- 1U In testimony whereof I alix my signature.

EDWIN B. WILHELM. 

